We’re moving forward with the most ambitious reform of student financial assistance in North America

Ontario is transforming student assistance to make college and university more affordable

Monday, January 23, 2017

Ontario is transforming student assistance to make college and university more affordable, including free tuition for qualifying adult learners, so that they can go back to school and upgrade their skills.

The new OSAP will make average tuition free for students, including mature students and adult learners, whose family income is less than $50,000 per year. Students with children may be eligible to receive OSAP funding for child care costs, and students from higher-income families will also benefit from more generous grants and loans.

Ontario has also launched a new online calculator at Ontario.ca/osap to allow students to find out instantly whether they qualify for free tuition or other grants from the province. For example, if you are a single parent, have three children and earn $60,000 a year, the new OSAP calculator will tell you that you are eligible for more than $16,000 of non-repayable aid, making average university tuition free with money left over for books and fees.

Expanding access to college and university is part of our government's plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

Students applying to college and university for September 2017 will be the first to benefit from the new OSAP.

About 80 per cent of all OSAP recipients will graduate with less provincial debt.

If you have defaulted on your student loan, you may still be eligible for OSAP. However, you must clear your default first.